Danish papers reprint cartoon of Muhammad

Denmark's leading newspapers yesterday reprinted a caricature of the prophet Muhammad that sparked deadly rioting in Muslim countries two years ago.

The papers said they wanted to show their commitment to freedom of speech after Tuesday's arrest in western Denmark of three people accused of plotting to kill the man who drew the cartoon, which shows Muhammad wearing a turban shaped like a bomb with a lit fuse.

The drawing by Kurt Westergaard and 11 other cartoons depicting Muhammad which appeared in the Jyllands-Posten newspaper enraged many Muslims when they first appeared two years ago, leading to riots.

At least three European newspapers - in Sweden, the Netherlands and Spain - also reprinted the cartoon yesterday in their coverage of the Danish arrests.

Danish Muslim leaders condemned the alleged murder plot, but also said reprinting Westergaard's cartoon was the wrong way to protest.

"There could have been other ways to do it without the drawing, which I personally do not like," said Abdul Wahid Petersen, an imam. Associated Press